Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best. --Bob Talbert
Our family has spent the past week in North Myrtle Beach enjoying each other’s company. All year long we look forward to our time together at the beach, playing in the ocean, digging sand castles in the sand, catching fish along the shoreline.
It’s a time for us to truly come together as a family and just “be.” No expectations, no agenda (other than going to the beach), no emergencies (hopefully). Just relaxing and enjoying some down time.
This year was quite different than our previous vacations at the beach—it rained—a lot. And while we had a few sunny days we spent in the ocean, most of the time was overcast and cool, even if it wasn’t raining.
I’ll be honest—I was feeling very disappointed. I absolutely love the ocean! I love the waves, the warm water, playing in the sun and the heat. This is our one week each year we can spend at the beach and I was disappointed that the rain would ruin our (my) plans.
Truth be told, my children didn’t seem to mind the rain one bit. Sure, they are very happy to spend time away with us, but exactly what we do is less important to them than I imagined.
Today, Mikayla spent the day with her cousins, dressing their Build-a-Bear critters and swimming in the pool. The boys spent all day relaxing and racing the remote control cars they made at Ridez yesterday.
They don’t appear disappointed at all. In fact, they are just so happy to have their dad to themselves this week and to spend this time with him. They spend most every day with me, but spending a week with Dad without the interruption of daily life is a luxury they don’t experience often.
So, while we have taught our children about those things that count in life, this week they’ve taught us something also. They’ve taught us that it truly isn’t what we’re doing together, just that we’re together, that counts.
This week I’m happy to be my children’s student. Proud of them, too. After all these years of teaching them those things that matter most, I realize that they have learned well. And then gone one step further and taught us the very same lesson. Good for them—and good for us!